Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-04-09

of the fine Italian hand has quite zone by.
Nobody who wrote such a~sprawling hand
as hers could initiate even distantly MI.
Murridge's neat and clearly formed charac-
tiers. "She may have stolen the checks for
some one. though. She may have a lover.
Girls will do anything for their lovers Yet
I have always thought her an honest girl.
The sn maP E. who sSos trSsts 81 any ny one ome is so fooi H.. TN
was inca able of such IN imitation. Yet
he might have been put up to the job by
some one outside. Very likely it was the
boy. Most likely it was the boy. There
was also a third person who knew the
routine Of the Office, and his own customs
and daily rules. Mr.. Murridge started
when he thought Of tn 9 tn I'd ne. son, and
his face hardened for a moment, but only
for a moment, because the very possibility
OF such a thing cannot be allowed to be con-
sidered.
He placed all the checks with the bank
book in his pocket, put on his hat, and went
slowly out Of the office. He was so much
troubled in his mind that he actually left the
safe unlocked, and all his papers lying on the
table, check book and all. This was a thing
which he had never done before in his life.
The office boy observed this extraordinary
neglect, and thought what a splendid chance
would have been presented to Spring heel
Jack had his tyrant master left the safe
open.
Mr.. Murridge was not the kind of person
to begin by crying out that he was robbed.
Not at all. He would first be able to lay his
hand upon the man who did it. He there
fore Went to the bank manager and requested
an interview with tho clerk Of the pay
counter, merely stating that one of his
checks appeared to have fallen into the
wrong hands.
"Can you tell me-" he asked, "who pre-
sented these checksT
The clerk was paying checks over the
counter all day long, and it scanned rather a
wild question to ask. But there was one
thing in favor of his remembering. The
only person who WIS ever sent to the bank
with Mr.. Murridge's private checks was his
son.
II cannot remember each one. But I re-
member something about them, because
your son usually comes with those twelve
pound checks.'
"Well-what do you remembera'
Two or three Of these checks-I think
three-were presented by an elderly man
with white hair, a white mustache and a
foreign accent, which l noticed. Oh, and
he had lost the %forefingcr of his right hand.
He took the money each time in gold, and
was a long while counting it."
IAN elderly nan with white mustache,
and ono finger gone. You ought to be able
to recognize HING
VI think should know him. Another Of
the checks was presented by a young lady. I
should certainly know her" said the clerk,
with more assurance. "She was we'll
dressed, and very pretty, Oh, 1 an sure I
should know her."
ooh! Is there anything else you can tell
mel"
"Why, there was another check presented
half all hour ago"
THAT makes the tifth,'' said Mr.. Muir
ridge. "Who presented thatf'
"a young mani think l should know
him-with light hair and a light mustache.
He wore u pot hat mud a red necktie, and
had a flower in his b%uttonhole. He walked
into the bank as if the place belonged to
him. First he said he would take it any
how, and then he said he would take it in
gold"
And the other two-these two:'
They were presented by your sou, as
usual. Your checks being always for the
same amount, and always being presented
by your son. made me notice a difference
Thank you. Observe that l nave made a
little alteration. This will, i'll future, be my
signature; you see the differences: Now, II
acheck is presented without the variation,
You will please detain the man who presents
it, and give him in custody and send for INC.
That's ALL
He went back to his Office. Something
was learned. A man with n foreign accent
and one forefinger zone had presented three
Of the checks. A girl, good looking and well
dressed, presented another, and a young gen,
tleman in q pot hat and a red tie presented
another. Not a great deal to help a dctec.
tive, but something.
His son had not yet returned from his din.
ner, and the Office boy was still alone.
"Where is the callers book" he asked.
The boy produced the book. Mr.. Muir.
ridge ran his finger slowly down the list,
looking for some one to suspect. There was
no one. But the last name of all struck
him.. 1t was the name OF Mr.. Hyacinth
Cronan, Jr. The only visitors that morn.
ing had been those members of the Cronan
family. He suddenly remembered that
Hyacinth, Jr.. had n way of walking about
as if everything belonged to him, and that
he wore IL pot hat. and generally had q
flower in his button hole. Why, in u gen
eral way, the descriptions agreed, but then
it was impossible.
what did young Mr.. Cronan come here
for;" he asked.
II don't know, sir. He came for Mr..
Richard. They went out together at one
o'clock"
/ Mr.. Murridgo gaze! tLoughtfully at the
boy. Young Cronan might have called at
the bank on his way.
"CIo to your dinner" he said to the boy,
abruptly.
The boy took his hat and disappeared in
trep:dation, because the history of Spring
heel Jack was in the drawer. Suppose his
master was to open that drawer and d:scovei
it! This was exactly what Mr.. Murridge
proceeded to do. He opened the 10y!
drawer AMI examined it carefully. Their;
was nothing in it at all, except a boys penny
novel, which he turned over contemptuously
taking no heed Of the way in which the boy
was spending the Office time. What did f
matter to~him what the boy did so long as h;
got through his work. 1t is not until nd
die age that we learn u truth which is moi
m of the most important laws, yet is no,
without its u~seS-namely that nobody cares
howw we do spend our time, every man being
fully occupied with the spending Of his owl
time.
When Mr.. Murridge was quite satisfied IN
his own mind that there was nothing in the
boys drawer he turned to his sons table.
He did not in the least suspect his son, OF
connect him with the lost checks, but it was
his nature to search eves'ywhere-even in the
least likely places. His profession was tc
search for missing links. He knew that
anywhere he might find n clew. He, there.
fore. opened the drawers. He turned over
the papers. end even examined the blottine
pad, but observed nothing except that the
naper WAS full Of girls, bends. drawn in nen-